Home Alone
by elsiecarson
Summary: Dave is away on a case and Erin is at his house by herself. Despite the distance between them they still need to hear each others' voices and talk every day. Dave likes calling her at the end of the day when she needs a pick-me-up. rated T for part of their conversation.
1. Bubble Bath

Erin sighs heavily as she enters the house at the end of a long, hard day. She kicks her shoes off and drops her briefcase by the front door. David has been away on a case for 10 days and she's feeling rather lonely. She walks into the kitchen, flicking the light on as she goes and throws a microwave dinner into the microwave. She knows David would be appalled at how she's been eating since he left, but he usually cooks. She walks over to the fridge and pulls out a sparkling water while her dinner is heating. The beeping of the microwave fills the empty house. Erin sits on a stool at the island to eat her dinner.

After dinner Erin heads upstairs to her bathroom to have a long bubble bath. She takes her cell phone with her just in case David calls. She puts her hair up and turns the hot water on is the bathtub. This is her one indulgence when David isn't home. She pours some apricot scented bubble bath into the hot water before she sinks into the tub. She sighs contentedly as the hot water caresses her body. She sinks her head against the edge of tub.


	2. I Just Called to Say I Love You

Suddenly Erin's phone rings and she reaches out to check the caller I.D. before she answers it. She smiles when she sees David's picture on her smart phone. "Hi sexy." Erin says happily when she answers the phone.

"I sure hope you don't answer the phone like that all the time. You sound like Garcia." David teases Erin.

"Only when I know it's you the other end. How are you doing?" Erin asks sweetly.

"I'm exhausted and we've gotten nowhere in this case. I just needed to hear your voice. I wish I was there with you. I hate this hotel and I miss you so much. What are you up to?" Dave asks with a yawn.

"Just a bubble bath with that apricot scented stuff you like." Erin says cheekily.

David groans. "You are terrible. I'm a thousand miles away and I can't do anything about that statement. That's not fair."

"I wish you were here. The house is so empty without you. How long do you think it will take for you to solve the case?" Erin asks gently.

"I don't know. It's already been longer than we expected. It's more complicated than we thought." David sighs heavily.

"Who are you staying in a room with?" Erin asks trying to keep David's mind off the disturbing case he's working on.

"I'm staying in a room with Hotch because Reid and Morgan refuse to share a room with either of us anymore because we snore too badly. Will you stay on the phone with me for a while? I'm not tired yet." David pleads with Erin.

"Of course, sweetheart. I'm going to put you on speaker. The water's getting cold and I want to put my pyjamas on." Erin hits the speaker button and sets her phone down on the window sill. She climbs out onto the bath mat and wraps a towel around her body.

"How are you doing?" David asks trying to keep the conversation going.

"Work is pretty dull without you around. I have a meeting with the director on Monday and I haven't been sleeping well since you left on the case so I've been an absolute bear at work." Erin yawns as she speaks.

"Oh Erin, sweetheart, you need to sleep especially if you have a meeting with the director in a couple of days. Which pyjamas are you wearing?" David asks curiously.

"I'm wearing my blue silky pyjamas and I'm curled up in bed listening to your sexy voice." Erin tells David.

"I wish I was there to hold you in my arms. Maybe we'd both be sleeping better." David says honestly. "I haven't been sleeping well either."

"Is Aaron in the room? I'm pretty sure he's not really comfortable hearing this conversation even if it is only half of it." Erin teases David.

"Well, he'll just have to put up with it. I've had to listen to half of his conversations with Hayley and now Beth." David says seriously.

"Fair enough. Why do I get the impression that your nights in the hotels are more like summer camps than anything else?" Erin teases gently.

"That's an accurate description. We have late night get togethers and all sorts of things. We're not as rowdy as kids at summer camp though and there's no room swapping." David contemplates Erin's question.

"Well, you are the expert on room swapping, David. You did it for long enough." Erin says cheekily.

"Erin, you wound me! It's true, but you wound me. You know me well enough to say that that's true of me, or it was at one point, but it isn't anymore. I am faithful to you." David says seriously.

"I know that David. I trust you completely. I know not everyone does, but I do. I love you." Erin says sweetly. She yawns softly.

"I love you too, sweetheart. You sound tired. Should I let you go?" David asks gently.

"No, please just keep talking to me. Your voice is so soothing." Erin pleads with David.

"That's quite a compliment Erin. I'll stay on the phone as long as you want. Have you talked to your kids recently?" David asks trying to keep Erin talking to him.

"I talked to my oldest yesterday, but my youngest two haven't got back to me yet. Jamie and I are in a much better place in our relationship. She asked about you. She said she could tell from my voice how much I was missing you. She's a smart girl." Erin admits to David.

"The last time I talked to Garcia she said I sounded mopey. She also said she wasn't used to seeing you so often. She said you seemed more stressed and upset than usual without me around. It was sweet really when she said she was trying to keep an eye on you. I'm happy you've been accepted as part of the team." David yawns loudly.

"You should get some sleep, sweetheart. What are you wearing right now?" Erin asks cheekily.

"I'm wearing my green plaid pyjama pants and a t-shirt. Why?" David asks curiously.

"No reason. Just curious." Erin skirts the question.

"Quit having phone sex with me in the room!" Hotch hollers on Dave's end.

Erin bursts out laughing when she hears Hotch's voice. "I think that's our clue to stick to more neutral topics when Aaron's around. Tell him I'm sorry."

"Hey Hotch, Erin wants to apologize for embarrassing the hell out of you." Dave says to Hotch.

"David! You were just supposed to say sorry! What am I going to do with you?" Erin grumbles at David.

"Well, anything you could do with me would be tough to do 1000 miles away." David says cheekily.

"Dave!" Hotch groans. "Too much information! I don't need the details of your love life! I don't go into the details of my love life!"

"I'm going to say good night and I love you. Call me tomorrow?" Erin asks sadly.

"I love you too. Of course I'll call you tomorrow. I'll call you every day until I come home." David promises Erin.

"Bye David." Erin says sweetly.

"Bye Erin." David says with a smile. He ends the call and sets the phone down on the bedside table.


	3. TMI!

"My God, you really do love her, don't you? I haven't seen you like this for a long time. You certainly never had conversations like that with any of your other girlfriends." Hotch teases Dave.

"Erin is not any of my other girlfriends. Thank God for that. This is different. We're different and more mature." David says plainly.

"That's a very new position for you, Dave. You and Erin used to hate each other." Aaron seems to be questioning Dave.

"I don't know how to explain it, Aaron. Maybe I've grown up. Maybe Erin and I have both matured, but whatever changed the relationship is 100% different and better. We're both calmer which makes everything easier. I have someone to come home to who does my laundry and she has someone to cook for her when I'm home. We're companions to help each other as much as anything." David thinks with a faraway look on his face.

"So, the sex had nothing to do with it, huh? You can't honestly tell me that. I know you, Dave." Hotch looks seriously at his friend.

"I won't deny that sex wasn't a factor. I was missing having sex, but that wasn't my primary reason for getting into a relationship. I was lonely. I'm tired of coming home to an empty house. I'm tired of being alone. Don't get me wrong the sex is fantastic, but the companionship is just as nice. I can talk to her about everything too, which is new. I'm not keeping secrets anymore." Dave explains to Hotch.

Hotch smiles cheekily at Dave. "That is so mature of you, Dave. I didn't need to know that about my boss though."

"Shut up! This job is rough. It's nice to have someone to hold when I go home, who doesn't judge when I choose not to tell her something because she realizes she probably doesn't want to know the details of what has happened." David says seriously.

"Hey, I'm not saying that's wrong at all. It's just a change of attitude for you, that's all. You and Erin seem well suited to each other now. She trusts you to protect her and that's a big deal for her. She doesn't trust people easily. She seems more relaxed now too. This is good for both of you. You seem more content since you've been in a relationship with her. I knew something was different for a long time before you ever told us you were in a relationship with someone and before you told us who it was. The two of you are kindred spirits, you know." Aaron likes that he and Dave can talk together like this.

"God, you're such a sap. Can I tell you a secret? It has to stay between us though." Dave requests of his friend.

"Sure, Dave, what's up? This seems pretty serious. What do you need to tell me?" Aaron turns to face Dave.

"I'm thinking about proposing to Erin, but I'm worried about her reaction. We both have commitment issues and I'm not sure about this at all." Dave sighs heavily.

"I can't believe you're this serious about this relationship. You're scared to ask Erin to marry you and that's okay, but I don't think you have anything to worry about. It's clear she loves you. When I see the two of you interact I know how much you love each other. You have to have a fabulous ring for sure though." Aaron is shocked at Dave's revelation.

"Well, I have the money for fabulous now and she certainly deserves fabulous after everything she's been through. I don't want to put her through anything else. I want her to be happy. She's still sceptical about all of this you know. I can see it in her eyes and on her face sometimes." Dave says seriously.

"She's just unsure of herself. With all the bad things that have happened in her life it's not surprising that she lacks confidence. She confident at work, but her personal life has been a mess. This is the best place she's been in for a long time." Aaron leans against the headboard.

"You know when I hold her in my arms nothing else matters. I love to watch her sleep and she's such a passionate woman which is so different from how she is at work. She didn't mind when we started staying at each other's places. She said I love you first and she gives the best massages. I've seen her entire range of emotions and she's seen the emotions I bury inside. We're always honest with each other." David admits to Aaron.

"How often do you talk to her when we're on a case?" Aaron asks curiously.

"We talk during the flight, once we're on the ground, and every day that I'm not with her, at least once every day. I call her once a day and she usually calls me once. It's important to hear each other's voices every day. We make each other feel better." David tells Aaron.

"I'm just glad you're happy, Dave. Erin sure is less cranky with you in her life which is great for the rest of us." Aaron says teasingly.

Dave rubs his hands over his face. "Let's get some sleep. The morning's going to come quickly."

Aaron chuckles. "All right, I get when the conversation is over."


	4. It's Late for Visitors

Back in Washington Erin has snuggled down in the king-sized bed in David's bedroom. The pillow next to her smells of David's cologne and she smiles. It's hard to be away from each other so often. She turns out the lights with the hope that David will be safe and home soon. She faces away from the large window in the room hoping she will sleep better tonight. She's very glad she doesn't have to go into the office tomorrow. Suddenly she hears the doorbell ring and she's immediately on edge. She tries to fall asleep, but the doorbell keeps ringing. Reluctantly she climbs out of bed. She pulls her gun out of the bedside table and goes downstairs.

When she cautiously opens the front door she finds Garcia on the doorstep. "Garcia, what are you doing here? You don't usually come to me for support. Come in." Erin is surprised by Garcia's sudden appearance at her front door.

"I'm here because I need someone to talk to and I don't want to talk to anyone on the team because they can't keep a secret from each other." Penelope tells Erin as she enters the house.

"I understand that. Sometimes I hesitate to tell David things because I don't want the whole team to know. It's hard because their closeness makes them better as a team, but they can, on occasion, be a little too close. I love that David has such a big support system." Erin smiles and sits down on the couch.

"Shouldn't Rossi be talking to you?" Penelope questions as she sits next to Erin.

"There are some things he can't tell me or doesn't want to tell me. He doesn't want to give me nightmares or have me haunted by anything he tells me. He tries to protect me as much as possible. He hates to see me cry." Erin says wistfully.

"How serious is this for the two of you?" Penelope asks carefully.

"It's very serious. We're practically living together. We've even been talking about selling my house and me moving in here. This is very special for me, but I don't know how official David wants to make our relationship." Erin admits to Penelope.

"You're not sure how Rossi feels about marriage after everything he's been through, huh? I get that. Relationships are so uncertain." Penelope sighs heavily.

"That sounds like the voice of experience to me. What's going on Penelope?" Erin asks gently. She's surprised Penelope wants to confide in her.

"Derek and I have been best friends for a long time, but I want more. I love him, but I don't know if I should tell him or how to tell him. It's so hard to decide. I don't want to destroy what we have if I'm wrong about how he feels about me." Penelope explains to Erin.

"Doesn't Derek have a girlfriend? Couldn't this be really awkward between the two of you? Are you sure you want to do this? When David and I confessed our feelings to each other it was mutual. Someone told me after a team guy's night that David thought he had feelings for me. You need to be careful and try and get some more information about Derek's feelings for you. The team will know how he's feeling. It's better to know than not know. Trust me, not knowing is scary if you want to confess." Erin says seriously.

"It seems like you know a lot about this. You were the right person to come to for advice. Thank you for helping me." Penelope compliments Erin.

"It's late, Penelope. Why don't you stay over? David wouldn't want you driving home this late. You'd be safer here." Erin suggests to Penelope.

"Would you be okay with that? I don't want you to be uncomfortable in your own home." Penelope says graciously.

"I don't mind at all. I think David would be more upset if I let you drive home." Erin says seriously.

"I'll just run out and get my bag. I'll be right back." Penelope sound relieved that she doesn't have to go home.

Erin smiles as Penelope bounces back into the house. It's clear she's happier than she was when she first arrived. "Listen Penelope, I don't know about you, but I am exhausted. I'm going up to bed. Let's get you settled." Erin sighs tiredly.

"I'm tired too. You miss Rossi, don't you?" Penelope asks gently.

"I miss him very much. It's so hard to be in this house without him. He makes me feel more grounded." Erin says honestly.

Penelope hugs Erin. "I get it. They're away from home way too much. I wish they were all home more often. We all need each other and you would obviously like Rossi to be here with you more."

Suddenly Erin starts to cry. "God, I miss him so much. I'm not the same when he's not here. Even when I can talk to him it's just not the same. I'm not as confident without him which I hate because it means I'm not as independent. My kids are shocked by all of this. This is a new side of me for them. I want him home soon."

Penelope dries Erin's tears. "He'll be home in your arms very soon. They're going to solve the case soon. Don't worry. He'll keep himself safe so he comes home to you."

"Thank you for the reassurance, Penelope. I needed that. David tries to reassure me, but I'm not always sure if he's telling the truth. He can't always be safe and that scares the hell out of me." Erin says seriously.

"I know. Every time the team goes out on a case my biggest fear is that one of them won't come home." Penelope sympathizes with Erin.

Erin sighs heavily and she and Penelope begin to climb the stairs to bed. "Which room do you normally stay in. There's so many rooms here."

Penelope pauses at the top of the stairs. "I normally stay in the room three down on the right hand side of the hall." Penelope points down the left hand hallway.

"Oh, David put you in the room across from his so he could keep an eye on you. That's perfect for the time that it's just the two of us in the house." Erin opens the door to the room Penelope will stay in.

"I love this room so much." Penelope says happily.

"Good night Penelope. I'll see you in the morning." Erin yawns sleepily.

"Good night Erin. Thank you for letting me stay." Penelope says politely.

Erin climbs into bed in the master suite and pulls the blankets up around her chin. She's never as warm in bed when David isn't there with her. She pulls David's pillow against her body. His scent is embedded in the fabric and it soothes her. She slowly falls asleep dreaming of David. She begins to dream vividly that David is next to her.


End file.
